Robert De Niro calls for protest against ‘philistine’ Trump as Cannes opens
Robert De Niro slams Trump during Cannes opening, urging protests against his film tariff policies.
During the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, Hollywood legend Robert De Niro used his speech for the lifetime achievement award to call for protests against “philistine” U.S. President Donald Trump and his planned film tariff.
The 81-year-old actor accepted the prize from longtime partner Leonardo DiCaprio on stage at the opulent Grand Theatre Lumiere with other Oscar-winning performers like Halle Berry, Juliette Binoche, and Quentin Tarantino.
Trump “has reduced support and funding for education, the humanities, and the arts.” According to De Niro, who starred in movies like “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” and more recently, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” he has now declared a 100% levy on movies made outside of the United States.
US actor Robert De Niro
De Niro urged “everyone who cares about liberty” to demonstrate against Trump, saying, “You can’t put a price on creativity, but apparently, you can put a tariff on it.”
The inclusion of films from Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran this year, together with Trump’s tariff announcement just before the festival, has drawn more attention to the world outside Cannes, despite the organizers’ insistence that they wish to stay away from politics and concentrate on the films.
This year’s jury chair, Binoche, used her address to honor Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona, who was killed in an Israeli bombardment in Gaza and is the focus of a documentary that will be screened at Cannes.
Before the audience settled down to watch the opening film, the French comedy “Leave One Day,” Tarantino, the American director who started his career at Cannes, formally inaugurated the festival, set to run until May 24.
TOPSHOT – US actor Robert De Niro
Ahead of the festival, U.S. director Sean Baker, who took home the top Palme d’Or medal for “Anora” the previous year, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, and American actress Eva Longoria were spotted on the red carpet.
Heidi Klum, a German model, wore a pink gown that resembled petals and trailed far behind her. However, it appears that this was not long enough to prevent her from being allowed to enter the red carpet after the organizers recently altered the dress code to forbid nudity and excessive trains.
Berry, who is also a member of this year’s jury, revealed earlier on Tuesday that she had to make a last-minute wardrobe change due to the new dress rule. On the red carpet, she donned a black-and-white gown that lacked a train.
